Camera Obscura
by StarzAngelus
Summary: Murder, mystery, and the supernatural lead Dr. Mamoru Chiba on a chase to find the connection between his haunting past and his young patient, Serenity, before it is too late. ON HIATUS


**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Sailor Moon.

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**Prologue**

Sometimes, you have to start from the end.

He wondered if he should think about the things you were supposed to think about before you die. His life was not flashing before his eyes. He felt almost no regret. He did not plea for mercy or pray for God to intervene. He did not cry out for justice or for the chance to start over again. It was fitting and ironic that he stood there, finally facing it all after so long. It mocked him adding to his despair, laughing cruelly like the bells to his own execution, only existing to remind him of why he was truly there. Should he relent? Should he reconsider? Would it be in vain, knowing that whatever he chose would be futile?

It was the power one had over life -- to keep it or take it away -- that was the timeless matter. The answer was literally in his jacket pocket. It was so small and inanimate, yet destructive and painful, and it carried the fate of his hunter and it's heavenly prey.

"Tsk, tsk, prince," she hissed. Her mere presence was fatal poison. "It is pointless to continue these games we play, because that is what they are, don't you agree?"

It was not an accident that she stood away from the window, but in the darkness of the room, her eyes were like clear, shimmering jewels in the sun, brilliant stars in a vast night sky.

"Oh, my dear doctor?"

He was too stricken with fear to move.

"Fine!" she shrieked and the noise was unbearable. "Let us see how much your little princess can handle, shall we?"

She lifted the knife to her delicate face and he wasn't sure, if what he was watching was real or if it was an old memory of his haunting past.

"No!" he screamed in desperation. "P-please, stop!" The tremor in his voice was unintentional and it had nothing to do with cowardice. "Please, don't harm her! I'll do what you ask, just please don't hurt her. I beg you, please put the knife down."

The look that spread across her flawless face could not be described as a smile but as a cruel expression of satisfaction. She gradually lowered the knife, letting it glide down his beloved's face in a slow form of torture. It was then that he knew that he would die for her and do anything to stop this frightful creature from causing her any more grief. It would not be easy, the important things never were, and the small sacrifice would indeed be worth it, even if it meant tearing out his own heart. It appeared that in this life, serenity would never be.

"What does it feel like, doctor, to have what you love taken away? Is it pleasant? Do the arrows of happiness pierce your tender heart and fill it with joy?" The venomous snake slithered towards him and stopped until there was barely any space in between them. "I promised you then that I would have my vengeance and that you and your bitch would pay very dearly," she said, running a white hand through his black hair. He wanted to shudder in disgust. "I had given you a chance to redeem yourself and still you betrayed me. I never understood what drew you to that daughter of a Moon whore and so I ignored it, thinking she would just be another one of your many passing amusements."

She closed her eyes at the memory. "But you cannot imagine the shock and pain I felt when I heard you say those disgusting words. As you may now know, Endymion, those three little words were what sealed your sad fate."

At this, she raised the knife and pierced into his shoulder, twisting it in sheer pleasure, and making him scream out in extreme pain. She held onto the knife as he stumbled away gripping his aching shoulder, backing into the wall and sliding down it painfully. He had already suffered several injuries and he was certain he had a few cracked ribs. He had a cut lip, he was spitting blood from his mouth and a few fingers in his left hand were broken from the chase that had occurred earlier. Anything this foul woman did seemed to end in bloodshed.

"Pathetic!" she shouted, kicking him hard in the stomach. "You are absolutely pathetic! Why I had eyes for you, I will never know!"

With a lift of her small hand, she seized his collar and hurled him across the floor causing him to crash into a large, wooden desk. She watched in unconcealed glee as he gripped the edge in a vain effort to stand up. Failing in his attempt, she approached him stealthily, picked him up by the hair, and slammed his head on top of the desk. His muffled cry of anguish was sweet music to her ears.

"Shhh," she whispered, pressing her red lips against his ear. "Shhh, please stop your crying. You know that I don't intentionally set out to hurt you. It is you who makes me do it with your lies and false promises. I never wanted to hurt you, I never wanted to be the one that brings you pain, but you were the cause of mine and it is only fair that the favor is returned. It is what a well-mannered person would do."

Still gripping his hair, she threw him to the floor onto his back, placing her bare foot against his cheek to hold him down. His eyes watered and squeezed shut in the unbearable, throbbing pain.

"But don't worry, Endymion, I shan't kill you tonight," she said, pressing down on his head repeatedly after each passing word. "After I return with what is mine, I will use it to slowly and painfully torture your foolish princess until she dies, and then, if you are a good little boy and behave, we will figure out what to do with you."

He could barely move and he felt his strength slowly leaving his limbs. The sedative he had been given was already taking effect and soon he would be unable to move at all. He had been counting on the delay caused by her predictable maniacal rant, but with the effect of the drug and his weakening and beaten state, he was running out of time. He looked to one the windows and saw the partial moonlight pouring into the dark room. He made his decision.

She reached for a glass syringe in the pocket of her gown, plucked the cap off with her teeth and spit it to the floor. "It was a pity that we had to meet like this, dear Endymion," she sneered, admiring the long needle. "Being able to manipulate the Moon brat was what made it all worth it." She gave him one last cold look. "Though, it is funny, I never thought it would happen like this."

In one quick movement he thought he wouldn't be able to do, he reached for the object that he had bravely been trying to hide. With a burst of strength, he kicked at her abdomen making her stumble. Eyes widening in shock, she dropped the syringe where it shattered on the floor and she fell back against the window.

"Forgive me, Serenity," he whispered into the air.

He raised the gun at the creature.

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**Important Author Note:** I have not written much of this, but the Prologue was definitely complete. I am currently in the middle of writing another multi-chaptered fic, but this one kept itching to come out. Feedback would be much appreciated.


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